2016 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietramarina
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This wine has lived many incarnations over the years, yet it remains one of the fundamental bottles to set the parameters for what we expect of a great white wine (made with the Carricante grape) from Etna. The Benanti 2016 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina was first produced in 1990, and with over 30 years of winemaking history, this is indeed a historic achievement. Today, fruit comes from the eastern side of Etna from the Contrada Rinazzo at 800 meters in elevation. This is a precise and sharply etched white wine that is driven primarily by volcanic or mineral intensity. There are fruity and floral aromas, but they remain secondary to the ash and crushed stone that is center stage. The results are tight, precise and elegant. Production is 8,000 bottles. This is a gorgeous edition of the celebrated Pietra Marina.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Etna Bianco Superiore Pietra Marina is more of a whisper than a shout, but it has a lot to say, as its bouquet blossoms with aromas of young peach and mango, evolving further to reveal hints of sage, sugar-dusted almonds and white smoke. Like a veil of pure silk, this slips across the palate, nearly weightless yet stimulating all the same, as salty acids and minerals build tension toward the close, balanced by ripe stone fruits. It’s persistent yet juicy, swaying between savory and sweet, while leaving the senses completely refreshed and longing for more. The Pietra Marina is an old-vines selection of Carricante from the Rinazzo Contrada on Etna’s eastern slope. It refines for 24 months on the lees in stainless steel vats prior to bottling. Put some away for a few years in the cellar, and reap the rewards.
100% Carricante. Tank sample. No MLF. Pale lemon yellow. Beautiful lemon peel and spiced lemon fruit on the nose with stony hints. Fresh and linear and precise. Can age, but already gorgeous. Fine, tactile finish. (WS)
About the producer
Benanti is one of the founding fathers of modern-day wine in Sicily, with Giuseppe Benanti an early champion of wines made from the slopes of Mount Etna. Today the property is in the hands of Giuseppe’s children and remains one of the region’s leading names.